Surgical instrument



(No Model.)

P. G. THOMPSON.

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 496,711. 7 Patented May 2, 1893';

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK O. THOMPSON, OF EAST TAWAS, MICHIGAN.

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,711, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed September 26, 1892- Serlal No. 4%,953- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK C. THOMP- SON, of East Tawas, in the county of Iosco and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Surgical Instrument, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip- The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective inst-rumentfor making topical applications to the cervix uteri.

The invention consists in the particular construction and arrangement of'parts of the instrument, which is of a forceps description for applying a flexible medicine cup to the cervix uteri, substantially as hereinafter de scribed and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal side View of the instrument with the cup, shown by dotted lines, attached. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal face view of the instrument closed, with its upper portion in partial section; and Fig. 3 is a similar view of the instrument open or expanded; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section, upon a larger scale, on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

A is the cup, which is designed to contain the medicine to be applied and which is made of soft rubber in hemispherical form and provided with a flexible rubber rim, a, of circular cross section. Such cup is not here separately claimed as new.

The instrument or cup placer B, by means of which the cup is to be applied, consists of a pair of forceps, the blades 1) b of which are pivoted together as at c leaving looped handles in the rear for the convenience of operatingthem. Thesebladessimilarlycurvelongitudinally toward their forward or jaw ends to provide for the special application of the instrument, and are of such length that the jaws will not come in contact with soft parts or tissue when the instrument is being used. The jaws too are so shaped and arranged and the blades jointed together where connected by the pivot c, that when the instrument is closed, as in Fig. 2, for insertion in the vagina, the blades in front of their pivot throughout their length lie apart but parallel with one another or do not form an angle at the jaws, which avoids the danger of pinching the folds of the mucous membrane of the vagina when inserting the instrument. A rubber or flexible and elastic ring 0 is attached to the interior of the jaws near their forward ends, as for instance, by pins or rivets d and outer rubber or soft binding pieces elet into recesses made in the outer surfaces of the jaws. This rubber ring 0 not only serves to carry the rubber medicine cup A which rests by its flexible ring or rim a, on the ring 0 after the cup has been inserted therein, but said ring 0 operates as a spring to expand the jaws or blades, whereby separate springs for the purpose are dispensed with. By having the jaws lie apart when the forceps are closed, space is provided between them for the cup A when its rim a, and the ring 0, are collapsed by the closing action of the blades.

In the use of the instrument, the medicine or rubber cup A is first placed or dropped into the rubber ring 0 and then compressed by closing the forceps, the small projecting parts of the jaws above or beyond the rubber ring 0 acting to compress the ring or rim dot the cup. The closed blades of the instrument with the compressed cup, containing the medicine, are then inserted in the vagina, and

pushed up to the cervix uteri, when the closing hold on the handle ends of the forceps is relaxed, the rings a, O expand by their own elasticity and the rubber ring 0 or forceps carrying it, is pressed forward and pushes the rubber cup A up and around the cervix. The instrument can then be withdrawn, leaving the cup A attached to the cervix uteri.

Although not here shown, the blades of the instrument should be enveloped by a soft covering or coverings.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The within described surgical instrument, composed of a pair of forceps having similarly curved jaws, and blades integral with the jaws and pivoted and jointed together to lie parallel or thereabout with one another and hold the jaws equally spaced apart when the blades are closed, and a soft elastic ring attached to the jaws or blades at or near their forward ends, for use in connection with a removable yielding cup, substantially as specified.

FREDERICK O. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES E. DILLON, ROBERT MANN.

ICO 

